Yeah I know typically we’re all here for a laugh, but I genuinely can’t bring myself to make light of stuff like this.

There are millions of men in the world whose lives would likely be revolutionised if they had someone they felt this secure and safe with.

But our modern society doesn’t reward (and in most cases, actively punishes) emotional vulnerability in men, so instead many of us either lean into toxic masculinity or drown in our depression. Sometimes both.

I’m fortunate enough that I do in fact have someone in my life who I could be this vulnerable with, should I be so inclined, but I also acutely remember the days when this was exactly what I craved in life and thought I would never have, and the suffocating feeling of isolation as a result.

I hope things change.

Imagine getting down there only to hear a Winter Lantern singing in the dark 💀

That’s a first page that goes fucking hard 😅

Oh I know. I was just trying to shed a bit of light on whether this company’s decision was an attempt to take advantage and screw people over, or a genuine survival measure.

The root cause is ultimately the tariffs that will be imposed by the US government.

In reality the decision will be more nuanced, and this company will likely raise prices wherever it can whilst also securing long-term stock at current prices to both avoid the tariffs and increase margins to recover the capital quicker.

But yeah. It’s all down to the government’s tariffs.

Without having more detail I can’t speak with certainty, but, general principles of inventory management and cash flow discourage having a surplus of stock, as that ties up a significant amount of working capital in the costs of storing and handling it all - you risk not being able to pay your liabilities because you’ve sunk all your funds into inventory that hasn’t yet sold and generated more revenue.

Companies often have longer term contracts with specific prices agreed that can’t always be easily changed. Those contacts could quite easily become unprofitable if there are sudden increases to the direct costs of fulfilling them. So, rather than trying to fuck customers, this company is likely trying to stock-up at current market prices to ride-out the first year of tariffs, but in doing so, needs a large injection of working capital to cover the expenditure (hence cancelling bonuses), and also puts itself in a very vulnerable position where cash flow is concerned by tying up that capital in inventory - any further sudden and unexpected costs could lead to the business folding.

I’ve had this since my teens. Some days, weeks, even months are harder than others, but no matter what I always feel like an attention-seeking fraud for not being “serious” about suicide, like others who actually try it

I cope through humour, mostly. I affectionately refer to the train station near me as my “get out of jail free card”, for when things get too much and I eventually succumb. It’ somehow helps to know I’m kidding, but also not kidding. Though I’ve thought and planned enough to know if I did ever really do it, that’s probably not what I’d do.

But yeah. I find all I can do is take each day as it comes.

The glyphs are a fun gimmick. I wouldn’t say you’re likely to use them all that much.

Maybe Google around a bit and see what you can find. There will definitely be other mid-range phones that lean more heavily into the camera, but at this price you’re always going to be making concessions somewhere.

If you’re buying the phone outright then that could work. Provided it’s supported for that long, and you can look after it well enough then I don’t see why not - you just have to be prepared to pay £800 all at once.

Part of my reasoning is the £400 cost keeps my monthly bill down, as I don’t buy the phone outright.

If nothing else, keeping one phone for 6 years would be better for the environment.

In my opinion it’s fine. I’m not super into photography or anything so take that with a big grain of salt. I don’t take too many pictures, but when I do they seem perfectly serviceable.

They’re never going to compare to a newer flagship, mind you.

Uhhhhh, rip and tear?

Did that stand? I’m not super familiar with basketball but it looks like he takes 4 steps (although the first couple are tiny) after receiving the ball without bouncing it.

I thought you could only take 2 (or 3, I’m not sure)?

All of this is more than I’m prepared to pay for a phone these days. It’s absurd.

I switched to a Nothing Phone 1 last year (about £400?) and it’s been more than capable of handling my daily usage.

I’ll keep the thing for three years, then upgrade to another mid-range. I don’t need to pay more than twice the price for hugely diminishing returns.

I saw the movie adaptation of Annihilation, so I’d be interested in the book.

Uzumaki is a great, uncomfortable read. I’ve got a lot of love for Junji Ito.

Dunno, but I miss rage comics.

I started getting into F1 a bit more in the past couple of years.

I remember thinking it might be a cool idea to try and go along to a race at Silverstone. Seemed like it would be a good day out.

Took one look at the prices and resigned myself to probably never going to an F1 race in my life, unless I suddenly come into vast amounts.of sustained wealth.

Oh really? I figured a wallet had to be one of the ones that folds?

I’m one of the younger millennials (I think?).

I never carry cash unless I have to (for some reason dependent on where I’m going). I primarily use my phone to make payments, and I don’t have a traditional wallet, but I do have a slim card-holder that carries my debit card, driving licence and one or two other important cards.

Take that for what you will, I guess!

Control starts strong, but I got about two thirds of the way through and still felt like I hadn’t progressed the story in any meaningful way, at which point the stylised visuals and combat just wasn’t enough to keep me engaged.

I dunno. Maybe I gave up right before things were due to start picking up, but for all the hours I’d sunk into it, I didn’t feel like much more than a glorified maintenance woman, with most quests consisting of “go there, flip a switch, come back”

Still, at this price, it’s easily worth a punt for anyone with interest.

Also it’s 100% “SCP: the game” 😅

Yeah, I don’t get it either.

There’s plenty of stories to explore in the world of Arda. Why do studios keep coming back to Gollum? Where are these people who are crying out for more and more Gollum?

Do the Silmarillion you cowards.

This has been a thing for years. Binface got like, 10K votes when he ran for mayor of London once.

I think people have broadly become tired with the joke now, though. The state of politics has become too depressing to see the humour anymore.